Steering-gear.



, No. 860,735. PATENTED. JULY 23, 1907.

- P. A. OUSTER.

STEERING GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED 0UT.18 190 6- vwentoz 28 M" mu gmw UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PETERA. ous'rns; or MANCHESTER, ILLINOIS s rnnnme-dnaa.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 23,1907.

Applioationliled Ootobor 18,1906. sum It. states.

To all whom it may concern: I

Belt known that 1, PETER A. GUs'rER, a citizen'oi the United States, residing. at Manchester, in the county of Scott and State of Illinois, have invented. certain new and useful Improvements in Steering.

Gears, of which the. following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in steeringgears for automobiles and it particularly pertains to a mechanism for directly turning the front wheels.

The invention in its specific application is designed for use on traction engines and heavy farm machinery and aims=prin1arily to provide a steering mechanism so connected with the. wheels of the vehicle that the the travel of the steering wheels. g I The invention aimsas a further object to provide a latter will travel in a direct line should the steering mechanism become broken or out of control.

The invention aims as a further object to provide a steering mechanism embodying means for compensat ing 'forthe inequalities of the ground with respectto device ofthe type set forth which shall be simple in construction, inexpensive tomanufacture and-practic'a-l and efficient in use; i

- The detailed construction will appear in the course Referring specifically to the accompanying draw ings the numeral 1 designates a transverse I-beam pro-' vided at-its end with web extensionsZ indicated in Figs. 1 and 3, the beam 1 being pivotally suspended by a centrally located king bolt 3 from the frame of the machine. Secured to the web. extensions 2 are brackets 4 provided with spaced parallel enlarged ears .5 which overlap said extension'and' through which pass connecting bolts 6. The brackets 4 each comprise an integral vertical sleeve 7 forthe reception therethrough oi the spindle 8 of the steering wheels, the

latter being in the nature of a caster. .The spindle 8 is provided with an enlarged head 9 projecting through the upper end of-a bracket head 10, 'the latter being provided with depending legs 11- between which the traction wheel 12 iscarried'upon'a suitable shaft not shown. The spindle 8 is held from displacementfrom the sleeve 7 by a cotter '13, .In its rotatable disposition with relation to, the sleeve 7-, spherical thrust bearings.

' 14 are interposed between the head lO and the lower portion of the sleeve 7 in suitable ways provided there for as will be readily understood. i

The above description relates 'toithe construction connection with which novel means are employed for rotating said wheelsupon the spindles 8'as an axis.

Disposed rearwardly of the beam 1 upon the frame of the machine is a vertically'extending arm 15 provided with an inclined sleeve 16 which serves as a support;-

'ing bearing for an inclined shaftlT-rotated by a deand manner of mounting the steering wheels per re in n a tachable crank 18. The shaft 17 has connection at its end by a double pivot universal joint mechanism 19' with a horizontal shaft 20 supported between depending'arms 21 of a bracket 22, .the latter being carried by the frame 1 rearwar'dly thereof[ The shaft 20 carries atits outer end a bevel pinion 23 which serves as the master gear of the steeringapparatus. It should be noted that the beam lis provided with a vertical .ex-

tension 24 upon which the bracket 22 is secured and.

beneath said extension said beam is cut away as-at'25.

to accommodate the pinions 26 and 27v The pinion 26 is carried upon the end of a stub shaft 28 the latter being jo'urnaled in integral bearings 29.provided therefor upon the bracket 4. The shaft 28'carries at its inner end apinion- 3Q which works in a recess 31 formed conjointly between the ears 5 and the extension 2."

The-pinio'nBO directly engages acrown wheel 32*rig idly secured to the head 10 by screws '33 as is shown in 1. The pinion 27 is carriedupon the inner end of an elongated transverse shaft 34 journaled in bearings 35-provided upon the beam-1 and reinforced by a central strap'bearing 36. The steering mechanism above described isapplicable tobothwheels and comprises the pinion 30 and the crown wheel 32.

' It will be readily understood that owing to the fact that the beam .1 is incapable of a horizontal swinging -m oti'on with relation to the'fr'ame, the'wheels 12 'will always"bo 'maintained in alinement with the line of force .of the driving wheel, irrespective ofthe position which. said wheels 12 may'have upon the spindle 8. Accordingly if any of the steering apparatus should 1 become broken or disarranged, so as to be incapable of- 'manual'control, the vehicle will be driven in a straight path until the'driving motor'is stopped. 'In practical use thehandle 18- is rotated in either direction to' impart corresponding movement through "the-system of gearing described to the wheels 12 upon the spindles 8 as axis. This arrangementis especially advantageous in connection with farmingmachinery sin'e'o it permits of the mechanism serving the dual,- function of a steering and short turning gear.

While the elements. herein shown and described. are well'adapted to serve the functions set forth, it is obvious that variousminor changes may be made in the pruportions, shslpeand arrangement of the several parts without departing frpm the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

5 Having fully described my invention I claim:

A steering mechanism comprising a supporting beam, caster wheels jonrnnied therein and rotatable about a vertical dads, and mechanism for imparting slmultanops rotation to said caster wheels upon said vertical axis com- 1O prising a. hand rotated shaft; n master have! piniqn carried a sauna thereby,:secondary transversg shafts, pinions carried on each end thereof, the innermost of said plnions being in mesh with said master pinion, crown wheels carried by said caster wheels, the outermost Otj'flflid pinions being in mesh with said ClQWD wheeis. 15

In testimony wlxcroofi I uflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' PETER A. CI JSTER.

Witnesses CHAS. E. THADY,

Bum Guam-um. 

